FREEMASONRY.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXII, Issue 4324, 30 September 1921, Page 1

FREEMASONRY.

CURIOUS LEGENDS AND TRADITIONS.

Freemasonry, which has its branches'. in every civilised country, has been built up on legend and tradition, and in “Masonic Legends and Traditions” Mr Dudley Wright has set out. some of the traditions, which go back to the start of the world : “One Masonic tradition states- tha I '. on the occasion of the transgression of our first parents a certain sign or token was used, which has been perpetuated in Royal Arch Masonry. Another Masonic tradition asserts that it was Word which expelled our erring first parents from Paradise Which ■ was uttered again at the universal Deluge,' and Gil occasions manifested itself to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and also to Moses at the burning bush.”-

The triangle plays a part in Masonry, and there are many traditions about’ttlis old Masonic tradition says that tlie the Jewish captives in Babylon were"oLa_triangular form, because the Chaldeans, knowing that the Jewish Masons esteemed the triangle as emblematic of the Sacred Name of God, constructed their fetters in that form for the puiS pose of increasing the mental sufferings of their captives by a desecration of the Tatragrammaton.” Euclid figures among the other great Masons : “According ,to Masonic legend, Euclid was Senior Grand Warden to Grand Master Ptolemy Soter, who founded at Alexandria a museum or college of learned inen for the improving of philosophy and. all other knowledge.” Masonry was introduced into England through France, and Mr Wright quotes on this subject from Anderson’s “Book of Constitutions” : “The Royal Art had been preserved much from Gothic ruins, particularly by Charles Martel, King of France, who. according to the old records of Masons, sent over several expert craftsmen and learned architects into England, at the desire of '>he Saxon Kings.” Mr Wright gives a list of the Grand Masters in England since the year 292. Amongst them are : St. Augustine, King Alfred, Edward the Confessor, Richard Coeur de Lion, Henry

VII, Cardinal Wolsey, Thomas Cromwell, James 1., Inigo Jones, Charles 1., Charles 11., Christopher Wren, Geor'ge IV., Edward VL, and the Duke of Connaught. Much of the legendary of Masonry lies around the Temple of Solomon, which has been practically proved <o have been on the side of the present Mosque of Omar : “Another tradition

states that the Temple had three

foundations, the first of which contained seventy stones —five courses from north to south, and fourteen from east to west. The centre course corresponded 'to the upright of a cross, whose traverse was formed by two stones on each side of| the eleventh stone, counting from the east ,end of .the centre row, which constituted the upright beam, and the fourth stone from the west.” The work was done so well that the joints could not be discovered when fitted together.